As many West Australians wake up this morning relieved to see the end of the state's mask mandate, another group is learning to deal with deep anxiety about what comes next.
Among them is Sam Connor, who has limb-girdle muscular dystrophy, which makes her particularly vulnerable if she were to catch COVID.
She now faces the "terrifying" prospect of trying to dodge the virus as the risk of catching it grows, while deciding which parts of everyday life she can continue with.
Ms Connor, who is the President of People with Disability Australia, is not the only one, with others in the disability space saying the latest shift means some feel they have little choice other than to lock themselves in their homes.
Over recent days, both the Premier and the Health Minister have acknowledged concerns about what today's easing means for vulnerable people.
Premier can't rule out reintroducing mask mandate
However, Mark McGowan today remained adamant now was the right time for restrictions to be relaxed, given the state's stable hospitalisation numbers and high vaccination rate.
While announcing 75 per cent of Rottnest Island's energy needs would be powered by renewables, Mr McGowan said he was confident the health system would cope with the eased restrictions.
"I think the thing we need to take most notice of is hospitalisations and intensive care rates and clearly we are managing that situation as well as can be expected and in fact much better than the modelling predicted," Mr McGowan said.
"It's not the end yet; we still have restrictions in place and we still have to be monitor and continue to be cautious but we can see the finish line ahead of us and that is why we have put these downgraded restrictions in place."
WA has recorded 8,117 new cases of the virus along with two historical deaths.
There are 233 people in hospital, with four in ICU.
Mr McGowan said it was "unlikely" the mask mandate would be reintroduced but said it could not be "ruled out".
"The thing about COVID is you can't rule anything in or out and I have found in the last two years, anytime you set a hard and fast deadline or an exact point in time when something is going to happen, you regret it."
He encouraged anyone who felt vulnerable to continue wearing masks.
"If you want to wear a mask, if you're in a shopping centre or among crowds of people, feel free to do so — there is nothing wrong with doing that."
Mr McGowan also encouraged West Australians to head out and support businesses who have had it tough over the last two years.
Today's easing has been welcomed by sectors hit hardest by the restrictions, like hospitality and events.
They are pleased that many of the rules that have restricted their businesses – like mask mandates, proof of vaccination requirements and capacity limits – have ended.
But disability advocates have said those same changes mean those most vulnerable to the virus will be living under new, self-imposed rules, to protect themselves.
"A lot more people are going to be unable to leave their homes and are going to have restrictions that they hadn't had before when the numbers were down," Ms Connor said.
Authorities quiet on expected rise in cases, deaths
The government, including Chief Health Officer Andy Robertson have so far refused to say how many more infections, hospitalisations and deaths today's changes could bring.
"Removing the Level 1 [public health social measures] should be considered only in the full knowledge that this may have the effect of increasing cases and hospitalisations in the short to medium term with the potential for further peaks and plateauing of cases," was all Dr Robertson wrote.
Instead, he and other key government figures have pointed to WA's current caseload and hospitalisation rates.
Between February 6 and the end of last week, 349,833 West Australians had tested positive for the virus – roughly in line with the government's Omicron modelling.
Far fewer than expected have been hospitalised though, with only about 994 admissions so far compared to predictions of between three and four-and-a-half times that.
Deaths though do not appear to have followed the same path.
The modelling made an estimate of between 89 and 171 West Australians losing their lives over an unspecified six-month period.
Since the start of the year, 131 West Australians have died with the virus – potentially putting the state on track to far surpass those expectations.
Mr McGowan said it was "complex" to distinguish between those who had died with COVID and those who had died from the virus.
"So essentially, most people who sadly pass away, who have COVID, are reported as a COVID death," he said.
"They are people that die with COVID ... [but] some of them won't have died from COVID.
"It is often difficult to determine the cause of death."
Health bodies warn restrictions may need to be reinstated
Australian Nursing Federation WA spokeswoman Janet Reah said the government should consider reintroducing restrictions if hospitalisations started to approach 300.
Hospitalisations have fluctuated in the low to mid 200s in the past month.
Ms Reah was supportive of lifting most measures, but said the mask mandate should have remained.
"It's barely coping. And that's because of the goodwill of the nurses and other medical staff that are working extra shifts."
Australian Medical Association of WA president Mark Duncan-Smith said with hospitals still under pressure, the government would need to reintroduce restrictions if COVID-19 hospitalisations increased.
"I've had [discussions] around morale with the junior doctors because there aren't enough of them, and some wards are not fully staffed," Dr Duncan-Smith said.
He noted only a third of the Western Australian population had contracted COVID and was concerned there could be another peak.
"Yesterday there were just under 9,000 cases of COVID, nine per cent less than the peak in March," he said.
"As we all know restrictions are to flatten the curve, so if we reduce restrictions then you can see the line go upwards."
About 40pc of deaths in aged care
Data from the Commonwealth Health Department shows 50 of WA's deaths so far were reported in residential aged care facilities, or about 2 in 5 of the overall toll.
"These are the realities, and it's a really hard thing as a person with disability to hear that this is going to be the case, that we are not considered to be as valuable as other citizens, I guess," Ms Connor said.
"Yes, we can continue to wear masks, but for a lot of us who need to have daily personal care, people who are living in institutional and congregate settings like aged care facilities or group homes, there's not really a safe alternative.
"Because you need to have somebody come in and provide case, and of course that person comes in from the community and can potentially transmit COVID to you."
Many to continue wearing masks voluntarily
Among those still trying to work out exactly what living with COVID looks like is Kate Fulton, chief people officer at community-based support organisation Avivo.
"We work with a range of people with a whole different range of needs, and some of those people are incredibly vulnerable," she said.
"So we made the decision that, as an organisation, we would continue to wear masks throughout the next month.
"We want to see what happens with the numbers.
"We want to, as best as we can, protect our customers and protect our colleagues."
Virginia Catterall, who advocates in mental health, alcohol and other drug treatment and criminal justice spaces, said she would be doing the same.
"My concern is that one we start taking masks off, those [case] numbers will actually increase," she said.
"For some of the consumers that I represent, I have concerns for people that are in incredibly vulnerable places … [like people] who reside in psychiatric hostels.
"So there are sort of pockets everywhere in the community where I think there are high levels of vulnerability."
Restrictions eased 'slightly too early': Infectious diseases expert
Concerns have also been raised by University of WA infectious diseases expert Barbara Nattabi.
"Considering that we are going into the winter months, which are colder months where we'll be much closer to each other, I believe that the restrictions were eased slightly too early," she said.
"We could have given it a bit more time to see what was going to happen, especially over June and July."
Doctor Nattabi said with restrictions easing, the most crucial protections for many people were going to be things within their control.
"What it would be important to do for those, particularly who are vulnerable, [is] to wear masks, avoid crowded environments and try as much as possible to keep distance from other people who are not wearing masks."
Identifying 'friends or allies'
Ms Connor said, from her point of view, seeing how many people take those steps will show how much thought they give to vulnerable people.
"When you do see people who are wearing masks, you know that they are part of our community, or that they're a person who cares about the community," she said.
"And that for me is a little bit of a silver lining, that I can identify people that I think are friends or allies, and … you have this moment of community together."
